See You Again
by androidilenya
Summary: "You are a short lived human. I am a prince of the Noldor. And all we had in common back then was a ridiculous amount of self-centered pride." Caranthir visits an aging Haleth years after their first meeting. Caranthir/Haleth.


******Pairing: Caranthir/Haleth**

******Dialogue marked with a * indicates that it's word-for-word from The Silmarillion, Chapter 17, 'Of the Coming of Men into the West'**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

"There is someone here to see you, Aunt."

"Who?" Haleth asked, not lifting her eyes from her wrinkled hands clasped in her lap. Her voice, though it was now quavery and cracked with age, lacked none of the steel it had held in days past, when she had led her people from danger to danger and finally to peace - a task that was now this Man's, her nephew.

"I- I do not know." Haldan spread his wide, scarred hands in a gesture of resignation. "But he insists that he be led to the Lady Haleth." The leader of the Haladin lowered his voice slightly. "He's one of the Eldar, Aunt."

Her head snapped up. _Could it be?_

"Send him in." She adjusted her blue silk robe, running a hand through her silver-grey hair. Haldan bowed and strode out.

There was no audible sign of his approach. One moment she was alone in the room, dust motes floating golden in the sunlight about her aged body, and the next he was there, fine red cloak swirling in his wake.

"I do believe you are even more beautiful than when I last saw you, Lady Haleth." That low voice, the one that always seemed to be mocking her and all that it spoke to - how painfully familiar it was. His dark eyes were amused as they swept over her.

"You're a terrible liar," she replied dryly, raising her chin.

He merely chuckled. "I would never dream of lying to you."

"I see that you look the exact same as you did seventy years ago." She drew in a breath and let it out in a long, tired sigh. "Damn you Elves. And you come back after decades, expecting a welcome. These years may have been a heartbeat to your immortal self, but little mortal me has felt the price of every minute of that time."

"Did you miss me, then?" A twinkle in his dark eyes, a teasing note in his voice - he really hadn't changed at all.

"Of course I did, Caranthir," Haleth sighed. "I did miss you, dammit."

* * *

_The first time he saw her__ was on the banks of a river that flowed red with blood. There was a sword in her hand, naked steel streaked black with Orc blood and flashing in the sunlight. There was blood on her armor, too, and in her hair - red blood and black blood, hers and her enemies'._

_He had been prepared to hate these Second-born, this Race of Men. Had not his father spoken of how the Valar sought to supplant the Eldar with a race more to their liking, one easier to control? Had he not heard of how Men were easily swayed by the guile of Morgoth?_

_He had not expected to find valor here. Yet here it was, shining in the eyes of this woman, who held her people together in the face of utter defeat._

_She looked up as he rode over, his own sword stained with Orc blood. The Elves had made short work of the attackers, driving off Morgoth's servants in a matter of minutes._

_Their eyes met and held for several long seconds. She looked away first, sighing noisily and sheathing her sword. "Took you long enough," she snapped._

_He blinked. "Excuse me?"_

_"I said, it took you long enough. To come help us, I mean. If it was so easy for you to kill this hellspawn, why could you not have come seven days ago?"_

_"It is not your place to question me," he replied sharply, swinging one leg over his saddle and dismounting. Even when off his horse he towered over her. "Shouldn't you be thanking me?" Anger, hot and familiar, rose in him as he stared down at the human before him._

_She stared right back, dark eyes proud. "I do not need the help of the Elves. We were doing just fine before you showed up-"_

_"Oh, I'm sure you were!" he scoffed, a mocking note creeping into his voice. "Just fine, with half your people lying dead? Just fine, with the Orcs smashing your stockade walls? Oh, aye, just fine!"_

_She narrowed her eyes. "My father and brother fell defending my people, Elf, and I was ready to do the same. I will not suffer insults from a latecomer such as you."_

_Something about her cold, proud words made some of the anger bleed out of him - not a common occurrence for the most easily angered of the sons of Fëanor. Perhaps it was simply that he, too, knew how it felt to lose someone, to desire to protect something. For him, the Silmarils. For her... her people._

_"My soldiers will help to honor your dead." The words came out stiffly, as though he were barely restraining his anger. "If you wish, you may join me in the camp so we can discuss what happens next." He spun on one heel, leading his horse away by the reins, feeling her gaze on his back,_

_He realized he'd never asked what her name was..._

* * *

"May I sit?" Caranthir asked, bowing with an ever-so-slightly sarcastic smile on his face. Haleth frowned at him.

"No. You can stay right where you are. Standing."

"And whatever can I have done, to deserve such a welcome?"

"Perhaps hiding near the Blue Mountains for decades, avoiding all contact with me?" Haleth scowled.

"My dear eldest brother insisted on maintaining the siege on Angband," Caranthir replied, shrugging. "Seems he has something personal against Morgoth. Might have something to do with that time he got chained to a cliff."

"And there were just so many things you never told me," she continued, speaking over the Elf's light-hearted words. "You never even _mentioned_ your Oath-"

Caranthir's eyes flashed. "That is hardly common knowledge outside the Eldar. How _did_ you end up finding out about that, pray tell?"

Haleth smiled. "Being on friendly terms with Finrod Felagund has its benefits."

"Should I be jealous of dearest Findaráto?"

"Not you. Never you." She had meant it as a joke, but somehow once the words were out of her mouth she realized exactly how much she meant them. Perhaps Caranthir could feel that, too, because he made no disdainful comment.

"Will you ever forgive me for withholding a few inconsequential details about my life?" His voice was filled with biting sarcasm as he bowed again, holding back his cloak.

"Like the fact that you swore an Oath that made you kill your own kin and get banished from Valinor?"

"Yes, that." He smirked as he straightened up.

"I'll think about it."

* * *

_He led her to his camp and_ _ordered that she be fed, then spent about an hour grooming his horse. Much more time than he really needed, but he wanted to give this human time to cool off. He knew how it was to be angry, just as he knew how impossible his brothers found it to reason with him when he himself was in one of his moods - Eru alone knew how many times Maitimo had had to restrain him in the past. And there was also a part of him that needed to calm down before he could talk to that woman again._

_She had just finished her meal when he entered the tent. She was sitting cross-legged on a folded carpet, traces of dried blood still staining her light brown hair. Standing behind her, he watched as she brushed crumbs from her worn jacket. She was no beautiful by any standards he knew - a thick jaw, a lowered forehead, wiry hair that fell over broad shoulders, scars roping her bare arms - but there was a steel-like strength in her that could not be denied._

_"Nice place you've got here," she said, looking up._

_He crossed to sit across from her. She shoved her plate - absolutely clean - and regarded him, hands folded in her lap._

_"Do you have a name, or must I continue to refer to you as 'Elf'?" she finally asked._

_"Caranthir. Son of Fëanor." He gave the Sindaran form of his name, as he doubted that this human would be much impressed by his full Quenya name (Morifinwë Carnistir, thank you very much, Moryo to his brothers and close kin - not that that mattered)._

_"Haleth of the Haladin, daughter of Haldad. I suppose I'm the leader of my people now that both my father and my brother are dead."_

_"Yes. Well. About that." Caranthir cleared his throat. "I want to offer recompense for your loss. I have seen what valor there is in Men-"_

_"Bit late for that, isn't it?"_

_He clenched his fists. "Will you stop interrupting me?"_

_"My apologies. Continue." And was that amusement sparkling in her eyes? He thought so, and that only served to annoy him further._

_"If you will remove and dwell further north, there you shall have the friendship and protection of the Eldar, and free lands of your own.*" It was a bit of a struggle to get the words out without snapping at her again._

_She met his gaze, that proud gleam in her eyes once more. "I thank you for your kind offer, Lord Caranthir, but I must decline."_

_"Eru, woman!" he exploded, standing. "Do you ever listen to reason? I just offered you a safe place to live so you and your sorry band of followers won't have to be saved by my people again!"_

_"I will __not__ place myself in further debt to you," she snapped, shooting to her feet and glaring up at him. For an instant, her hand hovered the hilt of her sword, then sank back down to her side. A calmer expression swept over her face. "Nay, I do thank you. But my mind is now set, lord, to leave the shadow of the mountains and go west, whither others of our kin have gone.*"_

_Caranthir sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Further West lie the lands of my brothers Celegorm and Curufin. And beyond that, the woodland realm of that accursed Dark Elf, Thingol. I doubt that your insolence and insults towards the Eldar would be tolerated there."_

_"Because you're such a tolerant, kind person yourself," she scowled._

_"Oh, absolutely." The corner of his mouth twitched upwards in an involuntary, sarcastic smile._

_Haleth frowned. "I wish to live my life beholden to none. I will forge a path for my people on my own or not at all. Sure you can understand that?"_

_He opened his mouth to respond to this with hot anger, but was interrupted by a quiet realization. He supposed he__ could understand that, after all..._

* * *

"Why are you here, then? Why come back now? Surely you could have waited until I was in my grave. 'Twould have been much easier for you to do so."

"Would you believe me if I told you I simply wanted to see you again?"

"Of course not. Who'd have believed that the Lord Caranthir would ever think but of himself?" He certainly hadn't thought about her all these years - not like she had thought of him. Why should he? He was an Elf, one of the First-born, blessed with immortality, and she... she was a fleeting, inconsequential being, as akin to him as an ant was to the proud Eagles of Manwë.

"I think of others often," he protested. "I saved your people from those Orcs, for one."

"And then deserted me."

"If I remember correctly, it was you that left me." He leaned down, reaching up and lifting her chin with one long finger.

She did remember that. She remembered turning down his offfer and walking away in her pride. But there had been more, hadn't there?

* * *

_"If your mind is made up, I will not restrain you." His eyes lingered on her as she stood, drawing her jacket closer about her muscular frame. Her eyes darted to his face and away again. "If I were to offer you supplies and fresh steeds, would you be too proud to accept?" His words were biting, angry._

_"I am not so proud that I will not take such things," she replied archly. "Besides, it is the least you can do for us, having realized our worth over late."_

_"Of all the responese you could have given, that has to have been the most infuriating," Caranthir muttered. "Do you enjoy needling me?"_

_"If I do, it is simply in return for the annoyance you cause me to feel."_

_"Leave, then," he said roughly. "Go your way as though we had never met."_

_"Do you regret helping me, then?" And the unspoken question - do you wish I had died so I would not be standing here before you?_

_"I- " His mouth moved wordlessly for a few moments. Damn this woman. Damn her and her ability to drive him mad with rage. "I can't say I do regret it." Beacuse he didn't, did he? If Haleth of the Haladin had fallen to that band of Orcs, if he had never met her..._

_A smile broke across ehr face, and it was the first real one he had seen from her. "Well, then I do not regret meeting you either, Caranthir. I thank you for your help and your... kindness." She almost seemed to be mocking him, a light confidence in her tone and earing, and Caranthir was seized with the urge to wipe that smug confidence from her face._

_He crossed the space between them in two long strides. His hands clasped her cheeks, pulled her in, his lips crashing into hers without a trace of gentleness. She stiffened, tried to pull away, but he refused to let go._

How do you like that, Lady Haleth?

_Caranthir stepped back and she jerked away, cheeks flaming red, brow furrowed in anger. "What in Eru's name was that?" she growled._

_He felt a smirk tug at the corners of his mouth. "A most amusing reaction, Lady Haleth. Do you know, I have never seen someone blush that dark a shade of red? It is quite becoming."_

_She scowled, the color slowly fading from her cheeks. "As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me, your assistance is greatly appreciated. With your leave, I will lead my people west."_

_"I wish you all the luck, Lady Haleth. Perhaps we shall meet again?"_

_"Perhaps." And she strode from his tent without a backwards glance. He watched her leave, a smile on his face._

* * *

"My brother said something to me once that reminded me of you. Something about how sometimes when a woman walks away, she wants you to chase after her."

"Is that so?" Haleth quirked an eyebrow, looking amused. "Would you have chased after me, had you known that at the time?"

"You are a short lived human. I am a prince of the Noldor. And all we had in common back then was a ridiculous amount of self-centered pride." Caranthir smirked. "Thugh you were far more annoying than I ever was, of course."

"Oh, I'm sure," she replied dryly.

"Even so, will you forgive me for not running after you?"

An amused look crossed her face. "Kneel and maybe I'll forgive you."

"I'll not kneel to you," he snapped, face flushing slightly with irritation.

"There's the Caranthir I knew. Always so quick to anger." Haleth laughed and extended her wrinkled hand. The Elf took it. "You're never going to change. And I'm going to die." There was a wistful note in her voice. "I forgave you long ago, for what it's worth. I never expected you to come see me again."

"It took me forever, but I chased you down." He leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips. "I know not what the fate of Men is, Haleth. But it may be that we shall meet again in the Halls of Mandos."

Something sparked in her clouded eyes as he pulled away. "That's a nice thing to hope for. Perhaps I will see you once more."

He bowed. "Then farewell for now, Lady Haleth." With a swirl of his red cloak he turned away. For a heartbeat her hand reached for the hem, as though to pull him back, make him stay - but her fingers closed only on empty air. She watched as he disappeared into the blinding sunlight streaming in through the doorway.

_Will I ever see you again, Caranthir?_

Somehow, she didn't think she would.

* * *

**Review please. And Happy Valentine's Day!**


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